2007 December | Car Tuning Central

Morgan Aeromax

December 30th, 2007 by Shenron

The Morgan Aeromax is a vehicle that is based on the Morgan Aero 8, and was commissioned by Prince Eric I. Sturzda, and only 100 will and have been manufactured. The Morgan Aeromax was built out of many alloys and uses a single alloy sheet to the forming, while the frame, built of ash, has been laminated for an exceptional amount of strength and insured that it remains durable, strong, and provides for a large amount of protection for the driver in the event of a collision. Featuring three backbones on the interior skeleton the frame also incorporates nine layers of laminates and has them visible from the inside of the car. The Morgan Aeromax also features a BMW N62 V8 for its powerhouse, an engine capable of great power and yet has a very modest to limited emission output and a decent fuel economy, making the car easier to maintain. The detail put into the Morgan Aeromax include the chassis beams and the custom build luggage, along with a split rear window to provide access. The chassis beam protects the driver in the event of a highly-unlikely rollover.

The design of the Morgan Aeromax was created by first basing it on the Aero 8, and then running it through a digitized process to create for it a base file on CATIA, which was then used to define the shapes and panels, along with glassworks and other parts, from this the jigs and such were manufactured to build the vehicle. The engine is a naturally aspirated model with 333 horses when revved up to 6100 RPM and it takes up 4.4 liters, making its output roughly 76 horses a liter. The top speed of the Morgan Aeromax is well over 160 miles per hour and it has an impressive torque rating of 331 pounds per foot at just 3600 RPM. Most of the vehicles feature a six speed gearbox transmission, a hydraulic limited slip differential and for the brakes has vented disks on the front and the rear. It can go from 0-60 in about four seconds, and the fuel consumption of that V8 is about 25 miles to the gallon, with variations depending on setting from 17 in city and 35 out of city. A notable person to own one of these Morgan Aeromax vehicles is Rowan Atkinson, who plays the character Mr. Bean.

Tags: Morgan

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Caterham

December 29th, 2007 by Shenron

Caterham has been building light sport vehicles since the seventies, however it was not always a manufacturer. Caterham started as a dealership of cars in the early 50s and continued to sell them during the 60s. Unfortunately the Lotus discontinued the much beloved Lotus 7 racing car, which was designed to require minimal effort to keep in tune, and machined very efficiently – the car was one of the mainstays of the company and looked as if it would fall to the dustbins of the automotive industry’s long history of designs that are no longer made… however Caterham bought the rights to the vehicle, along with the name. At first they began production of the Series 4 updated to the Lotus 7 line at Caterham, however sales started out poor and feedback was that people liked the series 3 better – so that is what they did and have been doing ever since. This year marks the car’s fiftieth year of being produced – and it is still relatively the same as it was fifty years ago making it one of the longest lived unchanged car models in the world.

Currently they have advanced the Model 7, but still sell the original model seven itself also in kit form. Currently the differing models they offer are all variants of the Model 7 lotus, but with differing features. The Classic is considered as the original of the series and is still produce, followed by the Roadsport which is an update on the suspension systems and linkages along with anti-roll bars and a larger engine. After this is the CSR which is their newest, and has a brand new chassis with independent suspension in the rear along with better drag reduction built into the design along with a much more powerful engine. The other two models are the SV and the Superlight, with the SV being close to the Roadsport but with a longer and wider frame, giving more room and wider wheel stances – the Super light is a track only version that has many parts replaced by carbon fiber and has its own sub line based on engine power.

Tags: Car Brands, Caterham

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Winter - Driving in the Muck

December 11th, 2007 by Shenron

As you know, during winter not only do cars suffer, but the roads they drive on progressively get worse and will develop faults in them that can contribute to more car repair issues than any other major factor. You’ve hit them, I’ve hit them, and we’ve all hit a pothole. But how bad could it be? Well, considering the amount of stress it puts on the vehicle’s shocks, the car’s struts, the springs, and not to mention the tires and the loss of a hubcap or two. Over time this can wear down the vehicles entire frame and integrity, joints loosen, parts begin to move, and eventually something comes loose, and you end up being the one that pays for it. So, how can you lessen the impact when the roads begin to warm and the potholes become a problem?

First off you can make sure you maintain tire pressure, this gives you and additional cushion, and keeps the wheel from changing shape as it passes over the hole. If you see one in time, slow down as much as possible before you run over one - the slower the speed the less the impact, if you rev it up and fly over the hole you are likely to get into an accident, or totally destroy the chance of your car not having any major problems in the near future. If you know the road you must travel on is filled with them, be firm in your grip on the control of the car - maintain control and do not let go. Once you’re going over the little bombs do not apply the brakes - this increases the amount of strain on the front tires and will increase the strain on the front suspension system, in addition look before you cross over any puddles - they could be disasters in disguise. Many pothole damage related automotive problems occur from these menacing puddle filled pools of doom - you can’t tell it’s a pothole unless you are careful. Slow down and avoid large puddles or round shaped ones that seem deep. One hit of a bad pothole can misalign you tires, break the struts, harm the steering alignment, and even lead to braking problems if you really hit a doozy.

Tags: Car Maintenance

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Winter – The Terrible Transmission Turmoil

December 11th, 2007 by Shenron

Your transmission, the gearbox that helps you maintain speed, specifically the automatic breed, can be adversely affected by the winter cold and lead to transmission failure and replacement. Keep an eye on the RPM number with gear shifts and note any changed carefully, if your transmission doesn’t seem to shift as often as it used to, takes longer, goes at higher and higher RPMs to shift or just stays in one gear most of the time you might very well have a problem. The one thing you definitely want to do is make sure your transmission fluid is fresh, and can withstand the cold - old or under rated fluid becomes sluggish in the winter and will eventually lead to further problems as the transmission lacks its much needed lubrication to function properly and efficiently.

If you start to hear whines with gear shifts, notice sluggish shifting or otherwise have concerns, and your transmission has already had the fluid changed take it to a service expert as soon as possible, it could be that you may need a new transmission - and having a blown automatic transmission in the dead of winter on a snowbound road is something you do NOT want to experience, especially if you haven’t followed what I wrote earlier on what you should have in your car during the coldest days of winter when you just have to drive in the blizzards of the century. Manual transmission can also suffer in winter, so you need to be sure you have that lubricated and taken care of as well. The turmoil and price of getting a new transmission can be avoided if you stay on top of the situation by keeping an eye on the changes and the fluids it needs. Finally, if you drive a manual - try not to grind the gears in any situation, but you probably already knew that.

Tags: Car Maintenance, Car Parts

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Car Books - The Best Car Book Shop Online

December 10th, 2007 by Shenron

I’ve been looking for a resource like this for ages and finally found it!

As you may have noticed I’m a car enthusiast, not only a car enthusiast but also trucks, motorbikes and everything else that moves on wheels or has a motor inside.

Since ever I’ve been looking for a quality and specialized online book shop where I could find the books I’m looking for without having to dig through a ton of other gadgets and poping-up ads.

Motorbooks.com has the largest selection of books, calendars and videos for enthusiasts!

You can Buy Books at Motorbooks.com for cheap prices, and still find very specialized books on cars, hot rods, tuning, car maintenance or even the top-seller “Million-Dollar Muscle Cars” by Colin Comer.